The novel is pitched as a vampire story (though we had some debate about that), and reads as kind of a thriller/relationship drama. Discussion points and possible spoilers below!
- So yeah, we debated whether or not this is a "vampire" novel. It's blurbed that way, and definitely involves blood-based immortality, which satisfied some our vampire standards. The lack of other vampire traits--feeding, undead-ness, vampiric strengths/weaknesses beyond immortality--left some of us unconvinced that's an accurate characterization, and it reminded me more of Highlander without the pesky decapitation business, which apparently wouldn't work anyway in this universe. Huh.
- Much foreshadow! So much foreshadowing.
- We wondered at the real extent of abusiveness in David & Jessica's relationship. It's a little hard to tell how far his possessiveness/manipulation goes, due to POV issues.
- Compared this (and drastically preferred this) to Somtow's "Vampire Junction", last October's spooky read.
- We noted that using David for roughly half the viewpoint sections did interesting things to the perception and effects of the book--took away what could otherwise have been more classically horror elements, made them into a different kind of tension as we see why he makes those choices.
- We dug Teacake, the immortal cat, and suspect that's a Zora Neale Hurston ref. I also find myself curious about that immortal lizard who just wanders off.
- We liked the bits of jazz and black culture woven in, including the Chicago sections.
- Much heteronormativity here! Such heteronormativity.
- We talked for a bit about different kinds of feminism here, got off on a nice segue about Adichie and her quotes in Beyoncé's song "Flawless" (and her reaction to it).
- Pretty sure this doesn't pass the Bechdel test, despite the primarily female cast--when women talk to each other here, seems like they're always talking about David.
- We liked the historical flashbacks from David, and particularly how they connect the history of slavery-based violence to his present-day mindset. It also adds this interesting angle to the horror--David literally haunted by his past as both perpetrator and victim of racial violence.
- Lots of talk about the Christianity here, how seriously to take the immortal origin in Christ's blood, how to square the faith-heavy characters with the supernatural elements. Inevitable Jesus as "the Master" and the Master from Buffy blasphemies committed.
- A couple of us are also currently (or permanently) in DS9 periods, so David & Jessica's daughter Kira had us thinking of a certain religious character.
- Some talk about the history of religious artifacts, including the Basilica of the Holy Blood (which sounds a bit similar to the immortal trick here), which is, incidentally, featured in "In Bruges". Also mentioned that the Chicago Art Institute has a couple reliquaries. Also, must plug: really good story about modern, war-on-terror based relics in Mieville's collection "Three Moments of an Explosion" (and, further aside, City Lit's short story book club is discussing that collection next month).
- We also talked abut Due as an author--her career similarities to Jessica (as a journalist in Miami), her friendship with Octavia Butler, her memoir with her mother about the Civil Rights Movement, and the excellence of her twitter feed.
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